Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: FGCU vs. Bellarmine
Game Notes: FGCU vs. Bellarmine
Social: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Rosters: FGCU | Bellarmine
Schedules: FGCU | Bellarmine
Season Stats: FGCU | Bellarmine
ASUN: Standings | Scoreboard
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The FGCU men's basketball team (13-5, 3-2 ASUN Conference) aims to return to its winning ways Saturday afternoon in one of the sport's most iconic arenas, taking on defending ASUN Tournament champion Bellarmine at 4 p.m. at Freedom Hall. The game is available for viewing on ESPN+. 
 
The Green & Blue is coming off a 97-76 setback at Eastern Kentucky on Thursday night, a game that saw five Eagles score in double figures and sophomore center Andre Weir (Hollywood, Fla./Chaminade-Madonna College Prep/Richmond) record his second straight double-double – a 12-point, 14-rebound effort. Despite the loss, FGCU's 13-5 start is equal with the 2016-17 Eagles for the best 18-game start in the program's Division I history.
 
Bellarmine (7-11, 2-3) is also rebounding from a loss, falling to Stetson 80-51 at home Thursday night. The defeat was the Knights' fourth straight at Freedom Hall, which for years was home to Louisville's program and also was a site for six Final Fours from 1958-69. The ASUN-leading Hatters dinged Bellarmine for 19 3-pointers on 40 attempts and outscored the Knights by 48 points from beyond the arc. Freshman guard Peter Suder was the lone Bellarmine player in double figures with 14 points, and graduate guard Juston Betz pulled in five rebounds. 
 
Senior guard Garrett Tipton leads Bellarmine with 13.0 points per game, and Betz snares a team-high 4.8 rebounds per contest. The Knights are 13th in the 14-team ASUN in scoring, averaging just 67.0 points per game. Bellarmine's defense is stout, however, ranking third in the conference by allowing just 65.7 points per outing. 
 
FGCU's offense wasn't a concern Thursday against Eastern Kentucky. Senior guard Isaiah Thompson (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville HS/Purdue) led the Eagles with 15 points, senior guard Dahmir Bishop (Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep Charter/Xavier/St. Joseph's) delivered 13 points off the bench, graduate guard Caleb Catto (Cape Coral, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian Academy) scored 12 points on four triples, and junior guard Chase Johnston (Boca Raton, Fla./Westminster Academy/Stetson) added 10 points. 
 
But Eastern Kentucky's game-opening 13-0 run put the Eagles behind early, and the Colonels made 17 3-pointers in the game and pulled away via a 52-point second half. The Green & Blue made just 8-of-28 shots from beyond the arc, and finished just 33.3 percent (24-of-72) overall from the field. FGCU's 76 points was its most scored in a loss since falling 97-90 in overtime at Canisius on Dec. 22, 2021. 
 
Thompson leads FGCU with 13.7 points per game, with junior forward Zach Anderson (Apopka, Fla./Apopka HS) going for 12.5 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game and Johnston adding 11.8 points per outing. Johnston is second in the ASUN with 33 steals, and Thompson has canned 43 triples and dished 47 assists – both team highs. 
 
History is not on FGCU's side against Bellarmine, as the Knights are 4-0 all-time against the Green & Blue – including an 81-68 loss in last season's ASUN Championship Tournament quarterfinals at Freedom Hall on March 3, 2022. Tavian Dunn-Martin scored a game-high 27 points in his final game as an Eagle to set a new FGCU single-season scoring record with 655 points.
 
Following this week's two-game road trip, the Green & Blue return to Alico Arena next week for a two-game homestand – starting Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. against Jacksonville State. FGCU is riding a 12-game home winning streak, which includes all six contests in The Nest this season. 
 
For complete coverage of FGCU men's basketball, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_MBB and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU men's basketball and other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.   
 
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS, MINI PLANS AVAILABLE 
Tickets for the 2022-23 FGCU Basketball season are on sale now and can be purchased by going online to www.FGCUTickets.com or calling 866-FGCU-TIX. Group tickets can also be purchased for 10 or more people – making a memorable evening for families, businesses, or other organizations. 
 
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN 
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow! 
 
COACH CHAMBERS 
Pat Chambers was officially introduced as the fifth FGCU men's basketball head coach in March 2022 bringing a wealth of experience in college basketball highlighted by head coaching stints at Penn State and Boston University. Chambers spent nine years leading the Penn State (2011-20) program and two years as head coach at Boston University (2009-11). He has 203 career victories in that span including four 20-plus win seasons. Part of his career as a head coach was highlighted by leading the Nittany Lions to a No. 9 national ranking in 2019-20 which tied the program's best-ever ranking set in 1996. Prior to becoming a head coach, he spent five seasons as part of the Villanova staff helping the Wildcats to a Final Four (2009), two Elite Eight, and three Sweet Sixteen appearances during his tenure. 
 
#FEEDFGCU 
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (https://www.fgcu.edu/adminservices/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit https://www.fgcu.edu/adminservices/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.  
 
ABOUT FGCU 
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 94 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 15-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 11-plus seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 47 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. In 2022, the men's golf team became the first program to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 20, 2021-22 and No. 25 in 2022-23) beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as four of the most recent. In 2016-17, the Green & Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.66 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2022 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 27 consecutive semesters. The past seven semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 2022) saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher cumulative team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl. 
 
---FGCUATHLETICS.COM---